Renzo Piano: the architect who punctuates the landscapes with his masterpieces.

From metropolises like New York City and Paris, to provincial regions like Lake Garda and Bern, the architecture of Renzo Piano can be found in both types of places – and always succeeds in its mission to blend into its surroundings. 

The Italian architect has been in demand since he completed the French national museum of 20^th century art, Centre Georges Pompidou, in 1971-77, a masterpiece that showcased his experimental work with lightweight structures that look at once artistic and industrial, and which created ripples in the architecture world. 

Piano’s buildings reflect a vision that goes beyond the structural engineering of architecture. His focus lies also with the people and the places: elements that this architect is careful not to overshadow. 

Starting from his Genoese heritage and upbringing, the exhibition traces his rise to success via his friend and collaborator Richard Rogers (who also worked on the Pompidou), and on his current practice of designing “piece by piece” in the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. 

A new film by Thomas Riedelsheimer shows how Piano’s inspiring architecture takes shape, but if you would like to see the architect’s work in real life, some of the locations of our The Aficionados partners are a good lead to follow.

In New York City, there’s the Whitney Museum and The New York Times offices that bear Piano’s lightweight signature. In Switzerland, Basel is home to the Piano-designed low-slung and low-impact Beyeler Foundation, while in Bern, Piano designed the undulating Paul Klee Centre. 

In his home country, the MUSE is the pride of Trentino, near Lake Garda, with a structure that connects man to nature. On Oslo’s newfangled waterfront district, a collection of buildings form the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art, and of course in Paris, we find the seminal Pompidou.

All 7 of these Piano masterpieces are easy to reach whether on your way to our partner hotels from each respective main national airport, or as a day trip once at your hospitality destination.